From the Times Herald-Record

Monticello - Long before the 12 hour standoff with police, William "Chris" Morris was a computer expert at Credit Suisse First Boston, handling millions of dollars in financial transactions. Now, he's charged with the attempted murder of a cop.

It began, his wife Jane Morris believes, with Lyme disease. "We had a very very good life together," she says. "Then he got very very sick."

The story spills out in torrents of grief and frustration. One night seven years ago, he awoke convulsing with a 103 degree fever. Bouts of fever continued. The fevers mystified doctors, until one did a spinal tap and diagnosed Lyme. Months of intravenous and oral antibiotics seemed to make him worse. She says he would come home from the doctor, unable to say what had happened. "He couldn't even put a sentence together for awhile," Jane Morris says. "This was a brilliant guy in a banking-investment firm."

He had headaches. He felt like his brain was misfiring. He lost his job. He went on disability. In 2003, they moved to Narrowsburg to start over, running a bed and breakfast and yoga studio. At first, Chris Morris seemed better. "Then he developed an interest in guns," Jane Morris said. "He seemed reckless with them. He seemed depressed. He's telling me he feels crazy. He's losing 20 pounds. Not getting out of bed. Not eating."

She told his doctor; the doctor said he wasn't depressed.
"Shortly after that, we find him in bed with a shotgun."

It was May, 2005. A deputy who was called to the house found him with the loaded gun, saying "the end is near". Police charged him with menacing, and he was jailed briefly. The charge was later dropped. By law, the court returned his guns. Jane Morris had to move her husband out of the house. "When the doctors weren't listening to me, I didn't know what to do," she said.

He stayed with friends for the next few months. She took him to his doctors, and they went to counseling. Friends said Chris thought he was a retired trooper, that he had served in Vietnam. He got into a car crash and ended up in a Scranton hospital. He thought they were slipping something into his food. His head felt disconnected.

His doctors put him on Vicodin and Valium. She asked the doctors not to prescribe them because of the guns. They told her to lock up the guns.

On February 2, 2006, Jane Morris says, her husband's behavior was erratic. She took away his handgun, went to a friend's house and called 911. When the police came, Chris Morris shot at the patrol car. The bullet just missed Deputy Cyrus Barnes.

Chris Morris' brother is a cop. Jane Morris' family are in law enforcement. She believes all of this happened because of either neurological effects of her husband's Lyme disease, or severe reactions to his medications.
"This is a matter of being failed by the medical profession," she says. "Prosecutors are talking 15 to 30 years in prison," she says. "These guys up here are seeing Chris as an evil person and he's not," she says. "He's sick."

By Andrew Wallenstein

Scott Brazil, an Emmy-winning TV director and producer whose credits ranged from "Hill Street Blues" to "The Shield," died Monday night. He was 50.

Brazil died at Sherman Oaks Hospital from respiratory failure stemming from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Lyme disease. But even as his condition worsened, the prolific and hard-working director managed his duties with the help of a motorized wheelchair as an executive producer and showrunner on FX's "Shield."

"He came into the office as late as (last) Thursday and was talking to the writers, doing casting and prepping our next episode," said Shawn Ryan, creator and executive producer of "Shield." "We knew his body was letting him down, but his mind never deteriorated."

Brazil collected a pair of Emmys for outstanding drama series in the early 1980s as part of the team of producers responsible for NBC's "Blues." He directed episodes of many primetime series including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "JAG," "CSI: Miami" and "Nip/Tuck."

Brazil also had been executive producer and showrunner on all five seasons of "Shield," as well as its primary director. He helmed 11 of the 65 episodes produced of the series, including several season openers and finales.

Shooting on the set of "Shield" continued on schedule Tuesday in tribute to Brazil. "Everyone, I think, felt more comfortable staying together and working rather than sitting at home trying to deal with this," said Ryan, who expects to suspend production Friday for a memorial service.

Brazil also had been active on the development front recently, teaming with James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator") on a series being developed at Spike TV.

Brazil was a graduate of USC, where he earned a bachelor of science degree from the Annenberg School of Journalism. He was a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Brazil is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter Lindsay; son Mark; his parents, David and Barbara Brazil; and his brother, Griff Brazil.

Randy Sacia knew he was in trouble last July 2nd while celebrating his wedding anniversary in the back yard.

He didn't have a clue how bad it would get.

Sacia and his wife, Laurie, were going to make a little campfire down the back slope by the creek. Sacia, 48, bent over to pick up two pieces of wood and shooting pains ran through his hands. Back in the house, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and he couldn't stand the pain.

The episode was followed by excruciating pains in his ankles and knees and two days later, a fever of 104.3 degrees.
His wife took him to the emergency room in LaCrosse, where they drew blood and tested for Lyme disease. Sacia, Galesville's police chief, got worse. Laurie saw the symptoms developing.

"I could tell he was having a hard time getting in and out of the squad car," she said. "Every day it was like he would wither before my eyes."

Repeated visits to the doctor for more tests didn't help.
Sacia lost his appetite; when he did eat, he said everything tasted like garlic. A dedicated weight lifter, he shrunk from 190 pounds to 138. His body was put through a three month ordeal that included shooting pains in all his joints, debilitating weakness and spirit pushed to the breaking point. Sometimes he could hardly stand. At one point, he suffered such delirium that he didn't know who he was. And at times, it felt as though there were crushed glass under his skin.

"I felt we were going to lose him," his mother said. "Even the hospital called him their big mystery. He was seeing things. He was in another world, seeing bugs and people who weren't there. You had to be there to believe it."

Friends who visited Sacia were brought to tears.

"To see a friend of yours like that, almost like a second son, it brought tears to my eyes," said his friend Don Bautch. "Friends of his came to visit him and came away bawling."

"I only knew he was sick and nobody knew what was going on," said Sacia's friend, Trempealeau County Sheriff Andrew Sheldon. "I remember one time he didn't have the strength to open a bottle of pop and his hands were shaking."

In late July, a blood test was taken at the Galesville Clinic indicated Lyme disease. Sacia had suspected Lyme because his dog, Courtney, had been diagnosed with the disease in July. With treatment, her condition improved within 24 hours.

Sacia was taken to the hospital and put on IV antibiotics for four days. But even with IV's administered at home, his condition didn't improve. He couldn't sleep, was so weak he could barely whisper, suffered cold sweats and, in the fetal position, wracked by pain, he rocked back and forth into the night.

One night in late August, the pains stopped. But the ordeal was far from over.

When his ankles became inflamed and swollen, Sacia had another four day hospital stay followed by IV's of anti-inflammatory medicine at home. The severe pains were gone, but the weakness and dehydration continued until a blood clot near his knee caused his entire leg to swell up. Blood thinners and other treatment slowly brought Sacia back to the point where he could eat normally and gain some weight.

A 28 year veteran of the Galesville Police Department, Sacia is a fixture in the community, familiar to just about everyone. When he got sick, Bautch said the community rallied behind him.

"Galesville backed him 100 percent," said Bev Sacia. "When the mayor came to see him, he told him not to worry about his job. If it wasn't for the caring people and friends being there for him, he wouldn't be here."

He returned to work for light duty in November and slowly built his stamina. Last week, he weighed in at 160 pounds and said he was close to full strength.

"At night I would be that he would get better and he did," Laurie said.

by David Krotz, Winona Daily News

Up until the year 2000, I was in phenomenal health. For over 18 years I was a national class athlete - bike racing, swimming 3000 yards 4 days per week, training on my bike with 80 mile rides 5 days per week, scuba diving and having enough energy to hold a full-time, demanding job in a corporate environment. I had just turned 45 and in the last 2 years, feel like I am in my 80's. I have 5 of the infections of Lyme disease.

From 2003 to 2005, I sought medical help within mainstream care and no one could figure out why I was having trouble walking, why my muscles were wasting, why I was having breathing difficulties, sweats, heart palpitations and the loss of cognitive abilities. I found a doctor in March, 2005 who knew how to test for and treat Lyme and that was when I was diagnosed.

I actually suspected I had Lyme in 2004 but the test that the other doctors did was the ELISA. This came back negative but did not account for all the symptoms I had. I was written off by the medical community as having an anxiety disorder. Why is it that one doctor who has extensive knowledge of this tick-borne illness found all of my infections with one set of testing and the others were clueless? Had my health concerns been addressed seriously back in 2004, I might have been in full remission by now. But for me, the Lyme progressed into full 3rd stage neuro involvement.

Currently it is difficult to even take a walk around the block. It's hard to play with my daughter. I have days when I can't even get out of bed. On the days that I can, I dare not leave the house sometimes, in fear of having a cardiac episode. ER visits have become a common occurence, with abnormal EKG's. The list goes on and on...

I have been in treatment for 14 months now and might be just beginning to see some improvements. There is so much more ground to go before I can say that I have achieved some degree of normalcy. But I do know this...if it were not for the help that I did receive from my current Lyme doctor, I would surely have died months ago.

John Shea
Wisconsin

I know this is long, but I think the content is worth reading. The following is not just a story of how I feel about my situation. It is backed up by lab reports and complete medical records along with pictures of my actual Lyme rash and various other symptomatic photos. I have spent 2 years researching on this subject and the information I have obtained in the hopes of helping others and making a change in the way the medical society looks at the current symptom protocol.

After reading this, I hope that you will see why I believe it is very important that we must pass legislation that will allow physician's to treat Lyme without jeopardy to their practice and see to it they are able to treat adequately through the power of law. I have a complete, verbatim copy of the California legislation that was recently passed and signed into law. This is a law that we desperately need put into effect in Wisconsin. You may read the California legislation here: California legislation

I have lived for 15 years in an area which I refer to as "deer tick haven" and it is literally infested. I have lived with this dreaded disease for so many years I don't know what normal living is even about. After obtaining and reviewing my medical records for the last 15 years including all lab work and test results, right down to my dental records, Lyme disease was suspected already as far back as 1991. I had 3 rashes under my breast and the doctor looked at it and said I had ringworm.

Had the doctors at that time been educated and aware of the clinical aspects of this disease, I could have been easily as well as inexpensively treated and spared the years of horrible suffering that I have gone through. I have spent years going to doctor after doctor with the same symptoms, only to be tested and told over and over again that I was depressed or having anxiety attacks. Some of my symptoms were: headaches, sinus problems, vertigo, carpel tunnel, aching joints, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, edema, intolerance, sleeping problems and many more. I had all the testing done on everything imaginable, all of which came back normal so I was given medications for depression and anxiety. Of course, my condition continued to worsen month by month, year by year until I was to the point that I could not walk alone because I had no equilibrium. I would awaken at night with cramping, sometimes up to 10 times a night. My arms and hands would go numb to the point that I would have to pick up one hand with the other and it felt lifeless, as though I was touching something that was dead. I had to have the help of a friend to grocery shop, carry in and put away the groceries, Christmas shop, clean my home, you name it...she did it and to this day, she still does what should be my every day responsibilities that I can no longer do.

I have a service dog that is near completion of training for certification. It is simply impossible to be reliant on others, so in my case a dog is necessary. The expense and time involved in have a service dog trained is very costly and complex.

For 3 years prior to finding my current physician, a Rheumatologist had been treating me for RA, even though based on lab reports, I tested negative for RA. I did not have the classic symptoms of the disease. Based upon a clinical diagnosis made by her, she gave me drugs that worsened my condition. I was injected with as much cortisone as was legally possible to give within a year's period of time. She had me to the point of taking some medications that have such severe side effects, it is recommended that this form of therapy should be discussed between patient and doctor to determine which is more beneficial - the benefits of the drug has on RA, or not taking it due to the severity of the side effects. I questioned her on taking this as I had never seen a positive test and as I mentioned earlier, I did not have the classic symptoms of RA. Never once did she test me for Lyme or even discuss the possibility of having it.

I was at a point in my life that deep inside I knew that the longevity of my life would not be long. I felt I had nowhere to turn. I spent 2 weeks planning my will as I felt I would not have much more time to live. Something inside told me not to give up and I decided to see an orthopedic surgeon in hope he could find some answer to the horrible pain I was enduring. When I told him my story and symptoms, he said to me "I can't tell you right now what you do have, but I can tell you what you don't have and that is RA." After obtaining my medical records from him, on his progress notes he had written "possible rheumatic fever/Lyme disease".

That was the beginning of finding the road to getting help. Through fate, I was put in contact with my current physician. Little did I know that this visit would be the beginning of the challenge of my life...finding a literate doctor and one who would listen as he did, seemed virtually impossible. I finally felt hope, something I hadn't had and had nearly given up on. My current doctor, who is very literate about Lyme, listened to me and never once made me feel like I was wasting his time or a "hypochondriac".

My case is very complicated due to the time period I was infected until I was diagnosed and began treatment. He started the antibiotic treatment and within weeks to months, many of the symptoms dissipated. I had 33 of the symptoms of late stage Lyme. I had a Lyme serology taken. This test was ordered by an orthopedic surgeon that I had seen when the cortisone was not helping. The lab technician informed me that if the test were taken after 6 months of having the tick bite, it would have come back negative. It states right on the lab report "It is critical that the results be viewed in light of clinical presentation". I told him that it was years and that I was also treated with many RA drugs. After all these years of suffering, I am finally being treated using pulse therapy to eradicate the Lyme. Each treatment is documented from minute to minute, describing response to the medication.

I continue to experience a great deal of pain and will probably do so for the rest of my life. That is the unknown. Although my symptoms have lessened, many of them mentioned above continue to occur. The joint pain is excruciating. I can't imagine being able to get down on my hands and knees and wash a floor. I can't even bend down to get things out of the bottom of my cupboards or refridgerator. I wonder what it would be like to sleep through the night without being awakened by pain and having to rely on medication to get 4 hours of sleep. The fatigue is something that only another Lyme patient could understand. I would what it would be like to not have every move I make take all the strength I have to do it. What would it be like to be able to do what the average person considers an every day chore and does with ease? For me, doing a simple task can have me on the couch for days, trying to recover from the pain it caused.

In October of 2004, while already in treatment for Lyme, I was reinfected not once but twice. I had 2 tiny little spots that one would probably not even notice. They were deer ticks. This tick bite was different than others I have heard of. There was immediate, excruciating pain. There were 5 out of the 10 people in our group that had bored in ticks that day. There were probably 50 or more other people at the camp that weekend...how many of the others also had ticks as we did? Five of us literally sat around and did nothing because of the pain. I had the typical bull's-eye rash and have pictures of it. It's a shame one has to feel they need to take photos to prove to a doctor they had a tick and also this rash. But without this proof, this information is just simply discounted and ignored by the physician.

My husband has been breaking out with rashes for a period of time now, he's seen a local doctor twice. He was also told it looked like ringworm but was asked if he'd been tested for Lyme. He said no both times and they never ran a test. He was just told to watch it. He was finally seen by my doctor and tested positive on the serology.

My daughter came to me last week with the same rash, only worse. She is so sick. I have the tick we removed from her and pictures of her rash as well. Her doctor glanced at her rash and said it was also ringworm.

I lost my job in October, 2002. I have suffered not only physically but also mentally and financially as well. I have been keeping a journal on my treatment. It documents my treatment, my reactions to medication, what I experience and how long my reactions last. I have photographs in the beginning stages of treatment and current photos that can prove my doctor is on the right course of treatment and has found the right combination of antibiotics.

I have seen specialists in every area of medicine including ENT, Opthamologists and Oral Surgeons, all of which have ruled out any underlying diseases. All reports have come back normal. My reason for keeping this journal is that some day a doctor can read it and possibly help someone else with the information in it. If what I have documented can help one other Lyme patient not have to go through what I have throughout my life, then everything that I am doing will be worth the effort I am putting into doing this.

I have made it my goal in life to do everything and anything I can to help others infected with this disease. Then and only then will my years of pain and suffering not have been in vain. Unfortunately, I am only one person, without the power to change things on my own. I need the help of individuals with the knowledge and credentials to substantiate and be at my side to support me. I am more than willing to offer any written material I possess or even myself for a case study if it would be beneficial.

Dawn L. Birling
Waupaca, WI

In July of 2004, I was correctly diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease after being misdiagnosed for 34 years by between 40 and 50 doctors. I was also diagnosed with sleep apnea, diabetes 2 and restless leg syndrome. I was tested with the Western Blot, which needs to be using all 16 protein bands...all strains of Lyme Disease!

Iowa does not have Lyme literate physicians, so over 1500 Iowans have gone out-of-state seeking treatment. Most go to Kansas City or Springfield, MO. At the end of this month, I'm going to Minnesota for treatment but NOT the Mayo Clinic! Going out-of-state means "going out of network" so I must PRIVATELY PAY for LLMD treatments, blood labs, x-rays and out of pocket costs for gas, lodging, food, etc. My first LLMD visit will cost $600; follow-up with be $400 plus huge lab costs.

"You look perfectly healthy...not sick" said one of my family members. Oh, what they don't know and can NOT feel the pain and fatigue inside me! If I were in a wheelchair, used a walker or cane, at least I would have a visible disability. "It's all in her head." If only those of you NOT battling Lyme disease knew how much pain and anger you've caused with your thoughtless comments on our invisible illnesses! We don't want your sympathy...we only want your support, compassion and someone to talk to when our flare-up's are bad.

My pain never goes away! I use a heating pad or cold pack on my neck, shoulders, lower back, thighs, and knees to try to numb the pain.
Do you have any idea what it's like to go to bed night after night, year after year, and get up just as TIRED as when you went to bed? We can't reach the level of sleep that heals and rejuvenates our systems. I soundproof my bedroom to eliminate noise from our neighbor's driveways, the slamming of car doors, racing engines, dogs barking, etc.
I was clinically diagnosed with major depression and anxiety and put on antidepressants - causing me to gain 25 pounds, which caused the onslaught of my diabetes 2 sooner. I have difficulty concentrating and performing simple mental tasks. I now point at things 60% of the time because I can't think of the words.

In July, 2005 I was finally approved on my second SSDI claim after 5 years of HELL.

Betty Gordon
Ames, Iowa

I'm a fellow Wisconsinite and highly suspect that I have chronic Lyme Disease. My youngest son was diagnosed with disseminated Lyme last fall and luckily, Dr. Jones prescribed two extra months of Amoxicillen for my son, realizing that 21 days of antibiotic treatment wasn't enough.

At any rate, my story is a long one and I suffer from these illnesses: Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at 22, Depression, Osteo Arthritis, Severe Intestinal Cystitis. My symptoms include brain fog, short term memory problems, hip pain, headaches, extreme fatigue, hair loss, rashes, anxiety, red eyes, red face, painful periods, loss of labido, heart palpitations, chronic constipation, shortness of breath, temperature intolerance, photosensitivity, hearing sensitivity, the list goes on and on. My memory issues seem to be getting worse and I have absolutely no motivation or energy.

Through doing research on my son's Lyme diagnosis, I discovered the controvesy between doctors, drug companies, CDC, etc. I started the Vitamin C/Salt protocol and herxed within the first hour of doing the protocol.
One week later, I developed an EM-like rash behind my left knee. I had my friend take a picture of it but couldn't get in to see the doctor until 5 days later. By that time, the rash had faded somewhat. I armed myself with my discoveries, pictures and my determination because I knew what would probably happen. The PA looked at my rash, measured it and said it could be a ringworm rash. She said she would order an ELISA test and refer me to an Infectious Disease specialist. Of course, in my frustration I started to cry. I told her I knew it was not Tinea, that it had shown up after I had been on antibiotics for a bladder infection. I didn't tell her about the Salt/C protocol I had started myself on because I knew she would consider me a crackpot.

She never did a physical, check my glands or anything. She also said "The ELISA will test positive if you have Lyme." CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Well, I'm sure you can. I told her that I would not be surprised if it turned up negative as I KNOW the ELISA accuracy is not that good when it comes to chronic Lyme. I also told her I was sick of having all these illnesses, that it would explain why I DO have all these illnesses, etc. She told me she did care, blah, blah, blah. I left crying and went to get my blood test while everyone stared at this emotional woman. I was embarassed and humiliated.

She called a few days later to tell me the test was negative. (I'd prayed it would come back positive just so I could feel validated). She spoke with my primary care physician and they agreed it was probably tinnea but they would refer me to an Infectious Disease specialist if I wanted to go to one. I said I would rather find my own Lyme literate doctor. She also stated she felt bad about my emotional state and apologized that I felt that way. I told her that all I wanted was some validation. I knew that she would not treat me for chronic Lyme. She also said she would not be able to sign for testing through another lab because she would not be able to review the test results. (So in other words, they supposedly care and want to help me but will not help me get further testing through another lab! Sound familiar?) I never went back to her.

I've been homebound for 2 years, can't work, filed for and have been denied Disability benefits and am still awaiting a court date - has been a year already and 2 denials. We are barely making it financially and are afraid we'll lose our home. My children are 11 and 13. My husband is trying to make extra money by working a second job but it still doesn't pay the bills. My marriage has suffered - my husband is supportive at times and I do give him credit but he does get very impatient with me and my constant problems.
I believe I may have passed Lyme to my children (they have some symptoms as well) and I believe my husband also has Lyme, although his symptoms are not as severe as mine.

I can't believe how epidemic Lyme is in our state and there's so much cover up. It makes me angry and sad at the same time.

I really love your web site, by the way. Excellent information and I'm sure you are helping many other Lyme sufferers.

Dana Weinberger
Rice Lake, Wisconsin

I  never saw the bullet that hit me in 2000. It was no larger than the period at the end of this sentence.

I was a healthy, active 43-year-old woman, employed by my county's Sheriff's Department. Suddenly I couldn't remember things, had difficulty concentrating, developed overwhelming fatigue and severe vertigo, was experiencing joint pain and a host of other symptoms.

Thus began a seven year nightmare that Stephen King couldn't have conjured up in his wildest nightmares.

I collapsed in the jail one night at work and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. A CAT scan was performed by the ER doctor, who said I was exhibiting symptoms of MS. The scan was negative. He suggested I see my regular doctor to have an MRI of the brain performed. It too was negative.

Over the next six years, I saw over 30 "medical specialists" who gave me a multitude of diagnosis', all of which turned out to be incorrect - Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, "It's just old age" and the diagnosis the majority of those of us suffering from chronic disseminated Lyme Disease are given - "It's all in your head. You just need a psychiatrist." My symptoms continued to worsen. I left the Sheriff's Department and went to work as a security guard.

Several times during this period, I collapsed and was rushed to the Emergency Room with abdominal pain, heart palpitations, vertigo. I already had documented T wave abnormalities and had developed a heart murmur. A bone scan revealed my knees and spine were deteriorating. I was forced to take medical leave while undergoing a battery of testing, all of which revealed nothing. My employer was demanding a diagnosis. I couldn't give them one as my doctors were clueless as to what was wrong with me. I was fired while still on medical leave.

A year passed before I could walk without staggering and was well enough to try to hold a job again. I went to work for Wal-Mart and at the time of my hire, fully disclosed the health problems I'd been having. When the Personnel Manager suggested cashiering as a position for me, I explained my health problems and the excruciating pain I was constantly in might make cashiering duties impossible for me to perform. Nevertheless, I said I was willing to give cashiering a try. I just wanted to be able to work to keep up with the staggering medical bills brought on by the unnamed monster that had stolen my life as I'd known it.

My tenure at Wal-Mart was a nightmare. Despite all the medical documentation I'd provided to management, some managers and employees spread a rumor around the store that I was faking my illness and symptoms. Having my written medical restrictions followed was a daily battle. I was harassed, ridiculed and outright slandered merely for being sick. I collapsed several more times and was rushed to Urgent Care. Still, no one could figure out what was wrong with me. When I finally became too ill to cashier, two store managers moved me into other positions that weren't as physically demanding - and which I excelled at performance-wise.

In February, 2005, I was forced onto medical leave by the Store Manager. He told me there were "no positions available for someone with your medical restrictions" even though I had been working other positions for 3 weeks prior. Other employees had the same medical restrictions I did, yet were not forced onto medical leave as I was.

By this time I was totally disabled, suffering from over 50 symptoms of Lyme - temporary paralysis of my limbs, bouts of blindness, headaches, vision problems, severe ribcage pain, chest pains, digestive problems - the list went on and on. Still, no one had given me a diagnosis.
Finally the pain clinic decided the best course of action would be to inject steroids next to my heart and lung. I was against having this done and stated so repeatedly. I'd now been in excruciating pain for six long years and was suffering from insomnia and sleep disturbances. I was exhausted. To make matters worse, my doctors had all taken the attitude I was nothing but a "head case". They became rude and dismissve to me, which infuriated me.
I knew my illness was not all in my head!

I felt having these injections was not a wise thing to do, especially since there was still no diagnosis. However, the clinic refused to treat me further unless I agreed to having this procedure done. I just wanted relief from the excruciating pain, so made the appointment. In pre-op, I voiced my objections to being essentially "emotionally blackmailed" into having the injections. The surgeon refused to do the procedure at the last minute. I was in tears. The next thing I knew, a psychiatrist appeared at my bedside. I was furious! Apparently none of these doctors could understand that being in constant excruciating pain for six long years, being sleep deprived (among a host of other symptoms) and being dismissed as a "head case" would make one tearful. The shrink noted in my medical records "Extreme caution is advised in proceeding with this patient due to significant psychological issues." It was the last slap in the face I would take from that clinic. I left and sought a diagnosis elsewhere. I'm glad I never had the injections done as steroids are the WORST thing that can be given to someone with Lyme Disease!

A couple months later, after seeing other doctors who had no answers, I gave up seeking a diagnosis completely. I was fed up with our broken health care system. By this time my condition had worsened to the point where I spent every day lying on the couch, barely able to walk from one room of my house to the next. My husband was frantic and prayed a diagnosis would be found. The next day, friends with no medical training whatsoever said to him "It sounds like Pat has Lyme Disease." He phoned the county health department, who immediately scheduled an appointment with one of two LLMD's (Lyme literate physicians) in the state of Wisconsin. The following night I found a tick crawling across my desk.

Financially destroyed by the medical bills accrued between non-essential (to Lyme) tests and treatments for me and my husband's terminal illness, I spent day after day filling out forms for financial assistance from anyone. No one would help. Faced with over $40,000 in my medical bills alone and unable to work, we were forced to try to survive on my husband's meager Social Security Disability income and take out a second mortgage on our home. I'd gone from a $14.00 per hour job to standing in line at food pantries in order to be able to eat. Unemployment determined I was ineligible for benefits because I was too sick to work. Social Security Disability denied me benefits, stating I wasn't sick enough to be considered disabled, despite my LLMD's assurances to the contrary.The short and long term disability insurance I'd paid for through Wal-Mart refused to pay me a cent. No attorney would take my case to sue the clinic for malpractice, their reasoning being Lyme Disease would be too hard to prove and my case didn't fit the CDC's inaccurate, outdated guidelines.

Just before Christmas 2006, it was discovered I'd been suffering from a chronic gallbladder infection for years that the clinic doctors had also failed to diagnose, despite my telling them I felt my gallbladder was infected. I underwent surgery to remove my gallbladder and well over 20 stones. At the same time, I began experiencing severe chest pains, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and numbness on the left side of my body.
After seven months on oral antibiotics, my LLMD said I was a case of "antibiotic failure" and that I needed the $300 per day IV Rocephin PICC line to try to get my disease into remission. I also needed to see a cardiologist as he felt my heart was inflamed.

None of this was to happen, as in March of 2006, Wal-Mart sent me a certified letter stating that they were terminating me while I was on medical leave.
I now have no health insurance and can't afford my LLMD appointments or the treatment I need to bring my Lyme Disease into remission.
My husband's cancer returned months ago...he needs a procedure to locate the source of the cancer cells to arrest the spread of the cancer. He also needs surgery to implant stents in his legs to prevent potential amputation.
Unable to afford any of the above, my disease is now going untreated and is being left to progress. My husband's cancer has been left to spread and the condition of his legs and feet have deteriorated to the point he can barely walk.

In a country reputed to have the best health care system in the world (although I beg to disagree with that!), I find the situation my husband and I are now in nothing short of deplorable. Unfortunately, our story isn't that different from that of other Lyme victims and their families. In fact, many have much worse horror stories to tell.

I've since educated myself on Lyme Disease and have become a Lyme advocate, working to get legislation passed that will protect the doctors treating Lyme from censure by medical licensing boards, insurance companies and other physicians who adhere to the CDC's inaccurate and outdated Lyme treatment guidelines - and will ensure that each of us suffering from Lyme Disease begin receiving the adequate diagnosis and treatment we are currently being denied on all fronts.

Lyme Disease is called "The Thief of Many Lives". It may steal my life...but I'm going down fighting.

The punch Lyme Disease packed left kathy Hubbard fighting for her will to live - a battle she is still struggling to win.

Lyme disease is transmitted by the smallest of creatures: the Ixodes scapularis, or deer tick, is about the size of a poppy seed. But its saliva can carry the Lyme bacterium and a cocktail of other infectious agents responsible for the largest family of insect-borne diseases in the U.S.

Kathy and David Hubbard and their five childre have fought them all.

David discussed his treatment regimen while injecting a serious of four large syringes into a line stitched into his arm - as he does three times a day, pumping antibiotics directly into his heart.

He grew quiet when asked about the threat to his children. "It's like being in a dark tunnel and not being sure when and if you're going to see the light at the end. Our feeling was "You can mess with us, but leave our kids alone." But there was nothing we could do about this."

Kathy first noticed a bull's-eye rash on her skin in the early spring of 2002. They had moved from Phoenix shortly before, and she knew enough about Lyme to go to a local clinic. The doctor dismissed her fears.

"He said it definitely looked like a Lyme disease rash," she said. "When he asked if I had any joint pains or flu-like symptoms, I said no. He told me I was one of the lucky ones and sent me home."

Their son Thomas, 15, was infected later that summer but they never noticed a rash. In November he started complaining of "arm sprains" and would go to bed after any exertion - even taking out the trash.
The day before Thanksgiving, they took him to the emergency room. His left knee was swollen like a balloon and he was fighting a high fever.

David was at work as a satellite systems developer when the doctor's call came. He still remembers the doctor who recommended surgery.
"I told Kathy to tell the doctor, "Thanks for the opinion. I'll get another opinion and get back to you," he said. He took the cell phone from Kathy and the doctor said "Mr. Hubbard, I was going to go home and stuff my turkey, but I'm going to operate on your son. And if we wait 24 hours, we won't need to have this discussion."

For ten days, Tom was hospitalized and given IV antibiotics. The tests came back positive for Lyme disease.

Their eldest daughter, Elaine, 15, still struggles to get up and go to school.

"I can sleep all night and I can get up and I'm still tired. I can sleep all day. I get sick a lot. I almost constantly have a headache," Elaine said.
She also has a hard time falling asleep at night due to joint and muscle pains.

Kathy eventually went back to the doctor, beginning an odyssey of appointments, misdiagnoses, tests, false negatives, apparent cures and relapses that continue today.

"I just kept getting worse," she said. "Every day I developed a new symptom it seems."

In 2003, David began showing symptoms. Bad news had come to stay.

The following year, their doctor threw in the towel and referred them to a Long Island doctor who specialized in treating late-stage Lyme and related tick-borne diseases - babesiosis, bartonella and ehrlichiosis.

After another child became symptomatic, the Hubbards had all their children tested.

"It was definitely a shock," David said. All their children had contracted some combination of bacteria from ticks. When it came time for David to look for a new job in 2003, they headed to Charlottesville, VA, where deer ticks are less common. Though they enjoyed living in Gaithersburg, David said the family will not move back to Maryland, which has the nation's third highest prevalence of Lyme infections. The risks, he said, are too high.

"Our son Thomas, who was only diagnosed with Lyme - none of the co-infections - never had any relapse," Kathy said. All seven members of her family caught some combination of the bacteria borne by deer ticks from the woods surrounding their suburban home.

Though Tom recovered after several weeks of IV antibiotics, the rest of his family has fought for months or even years since the first symptoms showed up in 2002. Most of them were initially misdiagnosed, allowing the diseases to gain a strong foothold. That should not have happened in Maryland, doctors who specialize in the disease say.

"Doctors in Maryland should be fully aware of it," said Dr. Michael Zimring, fo Baltimore's Merby Medical Center. "Any internist or family practitioner should know what Lyme Disease is."

Left untreated, the bacteria can get into the blood and attack the brain, heart and joints. In secondary Lyme infections, symptoms resembling arthritis, flu and even deadly spine and brain infections like meningitis.

Lyme does not play fair. "You have to gather evidence to identify it," said Dr. William Petri, head of the University of Virginia Medical Center's infectious disease lab. Doctors cannot develop a culture as with other bacterial illnesses.

Excerpted from Washington Examiner News by Karl B. Hillie